SCHOOL BOOKS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 10, 6 October 1932, Page 10

SCHOOL BOOKS

Contract Defended by Mr. ; Masters QUESTION OF COSTS “Clearly, this is an agitation conducted by the Master Printers’ Association. They are the real people behind the fight, not the parents of the children,” said the Minister of Education, Hon. R. Masters, in the Legislative Council yesterday, when replying to criticism of the contract for the supply of school books. The Minister said that when he took over the portfolio of Education he was faced with either renewing the contract at a substantial reduction or acquiring the manuscript and issuing new books. He could not see that the Government was justified in forcing upon the people an expenditure of between £40,000 and £50,000 for the purchase of new books. “I know it is the Master Printers’ Association which is behind this fiftht,” the Minister said. “I have evidence of it. There is a campaign against the firm which successfully contracted for the books.” The Minister said he had been told by critics that Victoria held the copyright of school books in that State. He had cabled for information, and the reply he had received was to the effect that Victoria did not hold the copyright of its books. As a matter of fact, the only country which did was Italy, and this had been brought about by Mussolini only two years ago.

If the public knew the full facts they would not support the protest against the contract, the Minister continued. The whole of the evidence of the Master Printers’ Association had been placed before the National Expenditure Commission, and it was significant that the Commission had recommended the extension of the present contract and the purchase of the copyright for five years. The Government in renewing the contract had been successful in obtaining 22i per cent, reduction on the retail price, and this applied also to the unexpired portion of the contract. The reductions represented a saving of £7250 a year. To prepare a new manuscript would cost the department £5250.

Tlie Minister said he was sorry to say that the Government Printing Office was not in a position to compete against outside firms for the contract. This should be possible, but it .was not. The firm over which the Master Printers were quarreling was the same firm which successfully contracted for the “School Journal” against the rest of New Zealand. The books were of excellent quality and proof of this was to be found in the fact that they were passed on from child to child.